Don’t like the weather? Wait ten minutes…or shoot into the air

What ever happened to just letting Mother Nature do her thing and complaining about it? If you make your way into the outskirts of Beijing, near the Fragrant Hills, don’t be surprised if you see farmers shooting into the air. It’s not some kind of rebel insurgence, but rather a group shooting silver-iodide pellets into the air in an effort to "seed" clouds and force them to rain. They’re part of what China calls the Weather Modification Program, which includes more than 32,000 people, 7,100 anti-aircraft guns, 4,991 special rocket launchers and 30+ aircraft across the country. Anyone else nervous?